What do you mean, the planet doesn't work that way?
The rest of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, which is about the size of Connecticut, is holding on by a narrow beam of thin ice. Scientists worry that it too may collapse. Larger, more dramatic ice collapses occurred in 2002 and 1995.
Warming Is Blamed for Collapse of Huge Chunk of Antarctic Ice
Wednesday, March 26, 2008; A02
A chunk of Antarctic ice about seven times the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed, putting an even larger portion of glacial ice at risk, scientists said yesterday.
Satellite images show a runaway 160-square-mile chunk of ice that broke off the Wilkins Ice Shelf in western Antarctica. The chunk started breaking off on Feb. 28. It had been there for perhaps 1,500 years.
The event is a result of global warming, said British Antarctic Survey scientist David Vaughan.
Although icebergs naturally break away from the mainland, collapses such as this are unusual. They have been happening more frequently, however, in recent decades, Vaughan said. The collapse is similar to what happens to glass when it is smashed with a hammer, he said.
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